Device for use in forming and retaining the shape of knots in ties



INVENTOR MICHAEL KovALovsKy March 27, 1962 ,hxlllll United States PatentOce 3,026,529 DEVICE FOR USE IN FORMING AND RETAINING THE SHAPE OF KNOTSIN TIES Michael Kovalovsky, New York, N.Y. (305 Hillside Ave., New HydePark, N.Y.) Filed Jan. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 2,000 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-153)This invention relates to devices for use in forming and retaining theshape of knots in four-in-hand ties.

As -a piece of wearing apparel, a tie generally serves no functionalpurpose and is worn only as an ornament. The ornamental value of a tiedepends in part upon the appearance and qualities of the material romwhich it is made. However, f equal importance is the manner and abilitywith which the wearer yuses. the tie in attaining a sartorialappearance. A well-tailored tie made of the nest fabric will be oflittle aid to the appearance of the person wearing the tie if a poor,sloppy-looking knot is formed in the tie by the wearer. Furthermore,even though a satisfactory knot may initially be vformed in the tie,movements of the fabric caused by activity of the wearer may cause theknot to open or to become misshaped so that the tie acquires an unkemptor sloppy appearance.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of new devices foruse in forming and retaining the shape of the knot in a four-in-handtie. Further objects include:

(1) The provision of tie-knot forming and retaining devices which are ofsimple construction so that they will be inexpensive and readilyaccepted and used by Wearers of ties.

(2) The provision of such devices which are so easy to use and yet areso eiective for their intended purpose that they will be used as amatter of daily routine by tie users, rather than looked upon as aburden to be used only on special occasions or even not at all.

(3) The provision lof such devices which can be used to form knots ofvarious shapes in four-in-hand ties, eg., concave knots, pointed knots,rounded knots, or the like.

(4) The provision of such devices which do not depend -for -their useupon any particular style or type of collar, or upon any attachments orthe like associated with other pieces of apparel worn by the tie user.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description givenhereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, isgiven by way of illustration only, since various ychanges andmodications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

These objects are accomplished according to the present invention by theprovision of a tie knot forming and retaining device which consists ofan elliptical element of bendable sheet material which is about 3 to 6times as long as it is wide, the length of the element being be- ;tweenabout 1 and 2 inches, with the sheet material being Lof sufficientthickness and being made of such substance ,that the element hassufficient rigidity to retain its shape ,against any stress imposed uponit by the compressed folds of the cloth when it is included as a knotforming and retaining device in a tie. The new elliptical elements ,arefurther characterized by cut-out portions into which .some of the clothof the tie may extend when the device is positioned in the folds of thetie-knot, whereby the 1knot shaping device is retained in its properposition in the tie knot, without need for use of adhesive materials,lclips, pins or the like.

3,026,529 Patented Mar. 27,4 1962,

A more complete understanding of the new tie-knot shaping devices ofthis invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic view of a fourin-hand tie tiedwith a Windsor knot, with the knot formed land retained in a desiredshape using one of the knot shaping devices of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional View simi-lar to FIG. 2, showing atie-knot of a modified form;

' FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, showingyet another modied form of knot;

FIG. 5 is a perspective View of one of the knot shaping devices of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the new knot shapingdevices;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of yet another modified form of the knotshaping device;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show a tie 2 withknot 4 composed of cloth folds 6, 8 and 10. Between the layers of cloth6 and 8 is the knot shaping device 12.

FIG. 2 shows the form of knot with concave sides which is preferred forbest appearance with a Windsor type of knot.

FIG. 3 illust-rates the appearance of a pointed knot which is preferredyby some tie users and which can be readily formed and retained indesired shape by incorporating between the layers of cloth a knotshaping device 12 in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the appearance of a kno-t of the rounded type, whichis preferred by those who wear wide-spread collars in order to lgive asomewhat expansive eiect at the neckline.

As shown by FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the new tie-knot retaining devices of thisinvention may take a number of modilied forms, although basically thedevices are similar.

The form of device shown in FIG. 5 consists of an elliptical ring ofbendable sheet material, the ring being 'about 1 to 2 inches in lengthand about 3 to 6 times as long as it is wide. 'Ihe sheet material of thering is of sufficient thickness to provide the rigidity needed for thering to retain its shape against any stress imposed by the compressedfolds of the cloth in the knot of the tie. For example, the ring l14 canbe made of various forms of stainless steel, aluminum alloys, brass orcopper alloys having suflicient ductal properties to permit it to bebent and shaped using nger pressure, with the thickness being aboutseveral hundreds to perhaps a tenth of `an inch in thickness, s-o thatthe normal stresses imposed by the cloth folds in the tie knot will notbe sufcient to unbend the device once it has been formed by ngerpressure into the desired shape. Bendable, ductal plastic materials canalso be used as the sheet material.

A portion `of the cloth layer 6 or S can extend into the opening 16 andthis serves to retain the device in position within the tie knot so thatit is not forced out of the knot during the daily activity of the tiewearer.

The modified :form of device shown in FIG. 6 consists of an ellipticalelement 18 having a pair of longitudinal slots 20 cut in end 22 and asecond pair of longitudinal slots 24 cut in the end 26. In actual use,portions of the folds of cloth in the knot of the tie can extend intothe slots 20 and 24, tand also there will be a certain amount oftllexing of the webs 23 and 30 between the pairs of slots 20 and 24, sothat combined action of these will hold the device in operative positionwithin the knot of the tie.

In the form of knot shaping device shown in FIG. 7,

f the elliptical element 32 contains two small cut-out portions 34 and36, somewhat triangular in shape, located at the ends 3S and 40 of theelliptical element 32.

New tie shaping devices can be made and sold either in bent form in theshape shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, or any other desired shape, or can bemade and sold as flat items, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, leaving it to thebuyer and user to create the desired shape in accordance with theparticular style of knot which he desires to wear.

Ease of use is important to the consumer acceptance of this type ofdevice because if it requires special manipulations which are dicult tomaster, or special attachments on the other pieces of wearing apparel,prospective users of the devices will not be bothered with the troubleof using them. The new devices described above are easy to use. First,the knot is tied in any established fashion to which the wearer isaccustomed. Once the knot is made, the new tie shaping device, if notalready in the desired shape, is molded by finger' pressure into thedesired shape and then is inserted directly under the top fold or layerof cloth a sufcient distance so that it is out of sight (see the dottedline representation of the device in FIG. 1). The knot is then shaped bysuitable finger pressure to mold the device and adjust the knot into thefinal desired shape, with the device inserted therein. The cut-outportions as described prevent the device from slipping from the knot andthe device will hold the tie knot in this shaped condition throughout anentire day of normal activity by the -tie wearer.

I claim:

1. A four-in-hand tie made of fabric, a dress knot tied therein and,included within the knot at the apex portion thereof as a knot-shapeforming and retaining device, an elliptical element of bendable sheetmaterial about 3 to 6 times as :long as it is wide, the length beingbetween about 1 to 2 inches, the sheet being of sufficient thickness andbeing made of material of sulcient rigidity to retain its shape `againststresses imposed thereon by compressed folds of cloth in the knot, saidelement having at least one elongated slot therein, said element beingbent around both end portions of the tie which depend from the knot,fabric of the tie extending into said elongated slot in said ellipticalelement helping to hold the element in position within the knot.

2. A four-in-hand tie made of fabric, a dress knot tied therein and,included within the knot at the apex portion thereof as a knot-shapeforming and retaining device, an elliptical element of bendable sheetmetal about 1 to 2 inches in length and between about 3 to 6 times aslong as it is Wide, the sheet metal being of sufficient thickness andbeing made of material of sucient rigidity to retain its shape againststresses imposed thereon by compressed folds of cloth in the knot, saidelement having a small cut-out section centrally located at each endthereof, said element being bent around both end portions of the tiewhich depend from the knot, fabric of the tie extending into saidcut-out sections helping to hold the element in posi-tion within thetie.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,481,839 Hewes Jan. 29, 1924 1,509,784 Schreter Sept. 23, 19242,195,373 Snyder et al Mar. 26, 1940 2,554,310 Pinsuti May 22, 19512,617,107 Semmel Nov. 11, 1952 2,644,163 Guaschino July 7, 19532,669,724 Jarrett Feb. 23, 1954 2,708,752 Meyer May 24, 1955 2,754,518Vary J. July 17, 1956 2,936,462 Williams et a1 May 17, 1960,

